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Chapter 3: Dinner at the Weasley’s
Harry let out a small groan of dread. He asked himself why, why did he have to be paired with Ginny? Why? Wasn’t it bad enough that they had broken up? He had tried to forget that it was his fault that they were no longer together. Now they had to be thrown together like this?
“Why,” Harry asked out loud, “didn’t you tell Fleur that Ginny and I just broke up?”
“I did!” Ron exclaimed. “But when I told her, all she said was ‘I have been told to pair these two up and that is what I am going to do!’” Ron shrugged.
“Who would tell her that?” Harry asked, becoming angry.
“Well…” Ron began, looking a little uncomfortable.
“No, not you,” Harry cried.
“No! You know I wouldn’t do that!” Ron exclaimed. Then he said, more calmly, “I think it was my mum.”
Harry’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. “Why?”
“Oh, don’t you see?” Hermione said in her boys-are-so-thick-sometimes voice. “She wants you two back together, Harry! She knows Ginny still likes you and that you still like Ginny and she doesn’t want you to break up! She probably thinks that by doing this, you two will get back together!”
“Oh,” Harry said dumbly.
Before anyone could say anything else, however, there was a knock on the door and Fred walked in. “Mum wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready.”
Hermione, Ron, and Fred walked from the room and down the stairs as Harry lagged behind. He had a look on his face like that of a man going to his execution instead of dinner with his ex-girlfriend’s family.
******
As soon as Harry reached the dinner table, he knew who Pricilla was. She was sitting near the head of the table with a pinched expression on her face as if she smelled something bad. She was wearing a flowing baby-blue skirt, a white blouse, and small white heels. Everything about her was immaculately clean, right down to her perfectly manicured finger and toe nails.
Across the table were two people who were clearly the twins, Elizabeth and Lauren. They were, as Ron had said, the exact opposite of Pricilla. They were wearing ripped jeans, slightly rumpled t-shirts, and plain white sneakers. Their short hair had a “bed-head” look, but was not dirty. Also, their expressions clearly showed that they were happy-go-lucky, as opposed to Pricilla’s “I’m so much better then you” look.
Harry awkwardly introduced himself to Pricilla. “Hi… Er… I’m Harry Potter.”
“Finally!” Pricilla exclaimed. “I’ve been trying to get one of these people to get me a drink for ages. I’m dreadfully tired. Would you get me drink?” It was not a request, it was an order.
“Er… the kitchen is through there, I’m sure there is something in there for you to drink,” Harry said, trying to hide his irritation at Pricilla’s bossy manner.
“Are you being impertinent with me?” Pricilla barked.
“Oh, calm down, Pricilla. Give the guy a break,” one of the twins said from behind Harry. She turned to him. “Hi, Harry. I’m Elizabeth, this is Lauren.” She pointed to her sister.
“Hello,” Lauren said cheerfully, grinning at Harry.
“Hi,” Harry replied.
Before anything else could be said, however, Mrs.Weasley came out of the kitchen, carrying a huge platter with a roasted chicken sitting on top of it. Behind her came Fleur, carrying a bowl of mashed potatoes. Following her was Ginny. Harry’s heart gave a flip as he saw first her red hair emerge from the kitchen door, then her face, which had an expression of nervousness on it. In her hands, she was gripping a bowl of green beans.
Shortly afterwards, the rest of the Weasley clan came downstairs, minus Percy, Harry noticed. He realized that he had never wondered why Percy was going to be in the wedding when Percy’s last meeting with the Weasleys had ended badly. He thought to remind himself to ask Ron later. Soon everyone was gathered around the table. He also saw Fleur’s sister, Gabrielle, and gave her small wave. She waved back sheepishly and smiled, before taking a seat next to Fleur.
Everybody dug into the tasty meal, and soon everyone was talking and laughing. But even with so many happy people around him, Harry couldn’t help but feel anxious. Ginny was sitting right across from him and it was hard to not to look her in the eye.
Harry decided to concentrate on the people around him. He observed Elizabeth, Lauren, Fred, and George sitting at one corner of the table, a little separated from everyone else. Harry soon realized that they were all looking at something in Fred’s lap and were sniggering quietly. Harry craned his neck to get a better look at what it was and caught a glimpse of what looked like one of Fred and George’s Pygmy Puffs that they sold at their joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. The Pygmy Puff looked very angry and ugly, not at all like the cute and innocent looking Pygmy Puffs in Fred and George’s shop. Before Harry knew what was happening, Fred had levitated the Pygmy Puff, making sure it was staying low, and sailed it right into Pricilla’s lap.
The next second, an ear-splitting scream pierced the room as Pricilla jumped up from her seat. Harry stifled a laugh as he saw that the Pygmy Puff had latched itself on to Pricilla’s skirt with very sharp little teeth.
“Get it off! Get it off! Get the little monster off!” Pricilla shrieked, jumping up and down and pulling at the Pygmy Puff.
Mrs.Weasley, apparently recognizing the Pygmy Puff, yelled. “Fred! George! Get that off Pricilla now!” But she didn’t look very mad. In fact, she looked as if she was trying to stifle a laugh, too.
With a flick of his wand, Fred had detached the Pygmy Puff from Pricilla’s skirt and put it in a small cardboard box. Then he said in a voice that you might use to talk to a baby as he stroked the tiny creature, “There, there, it’s ok. Did that lady scare you?”
Pricilla opened and closed her mouth dumbly, apparently speechless. Then she let out a cry of frustration and stomped out of the room.
Fred held up the Pygmy Puff triumphantly to the laughing room and said casually, “Just trying out the new merchandise. We’ve been thinking of expanding the Pygmy Puff line by including bad ones, too.”
“Well,” Mrs.Weasley said briskly, trying to regain order, “I guess dinner is done.”
Harry, relieved, got up from the table and headed for the stairs with Hermione and Ron following behind.
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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I am currently suffering from writers block, so it may be a while before the next chapter is up. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I do read and try to respond to all reviews, so please leave a review if you have the time! Also, a big thanks you to my beta reader, Vickie (a.ka. jynx67)!